The overall objectives of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Drew) MBRS SCORE program, which was funded for the period of 08/01/03-07/31/07, are to 1) increase the number of well trained minority researchers by significantly improving the quality and quantity of biomedical/biobehavioral research and scientific publications by promising junior investigators addressing issues of health disparities for ethnic minorities and 2) enhance the research infrastructure at Drew. The program consists of 1) an administrative core and 2) research projects from developing faculty. This supplemental application proposes to expand the MBRS program junior investigator base to include a revision of one of the projects that was not initially funded. Additionally, three new full projects and one pilot project were selected by the Internal Advisory Committee and are being proposed as part of this application. As with the current projects, each junior investigator will be paired with a senior mentor and will participate in a structured training seminar series to enhance the junior investigator's research and scientific communication skills and knowledge. The specific aims of this application are to: [unreadable] 1) Expand the junior investigator base of the MBRS program, thus contributing to achieving the program's goals and objectives. [unreadable] 2) Enhance institutional biomedical research capabilities at Drew. [unreadable] 3) Provide support for full and pilot projects to stimulate and better prepare promising minority junior investigators and junior investigators with a strong commitment to issues affecting disadvantaged populations for biomedical/biobehavioral research careers. [unreadable] 4) Promote faculty development through the support of mentored-research full and pilot projects by pairing dedicated senior investigators with promising junior faculty and providing an infrastructure for formal mentoring via an advisory committee for the junior faculty members. [unreadable] 5) Promote faculty development through the implementation of a research seminar series to strengthen and increase the research productivity and scientific communication skills of promising junior faculty. [unreadable] The expected outcome of the MBRS SCORE program at Drew is that mentored junior investigators will successfully compete for independent peer-reviewed funding and the eventual attainment of a "tenured" research track academic appointment. [unreadable] [unreadable]